September 14, 2016
1096
The nuclear plant supports the community, and the community supports the plant.
That's the word from Bruce Power president and chief executive officer Mike Rencheck (above) as he emphasized the importance of the surrounding community to the nuclear generating station, during a presentation Wednesday morning, at the Economic Development and Innovation Summit, hosted by Bruce Power and Bruce County, in Kincardine.
Outlining Bruce Power's strategic long-term vision, Rencheck gave a simple and straightforward explanation of the agreement with the province which extends the life of the Bruce Nuclear plant to 2064. This involves an extensive and intensive refurbishment project, set to begin in 2020, he said.
"Extending the lifecycle of the six units at Bruce Power, will cost $20-billion to $30-billion over the span of the refurbishment," said Rencheck, noting that the four pillars of success for this project include: operational excellence, project excellence, innovation and sustainability, and people and community.
"We will be starting the construction project, but we must maintain operations along the way," he said. "And there are off-ramps if we're not performing to the level we should be."
He stressed safety as the prime directive, and completing the project safely, on-time and on-budget. "But we can't do it alone. We need the broader community to participate."
As for the refurbishment schedule, Rencheck said the first project - Unit 6 - is slated to begin in 2020, but the estimate must be to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) by 2018 which is just over a year away. From there, the off-ramps are the two years prior to the next unit going under refurbishment..
"The better we operate, the better it is for the project," said Rencheck.
Bruce Power will also be requesting a 10-year CNSC licence renewal, the first in Canada, in order to provide certainty for this investment, he said, adding there is precedence in the United States where 20-year licences have been granted, and in Europe where five- and 10-year licences have been issued for nuclear plants.
"It can be done, and it can be done safely," said Rencheck. "Bruce Power has a clear plan for the future safe operation of these plants."
He admitted that going for the 10-year licence renewal is a difficult step which is why Bruce Power needs the support of the community.
The success of the refurbishment project depends on people, people, people, said Rencheck. "If we are taking this to the year 2033, we need the skilled people in place so we can hand over this project to them. That's what makes it sustainable.
"Bruce Power is in the people business. I know that's tough for engineers to understand - and I am an engineer. We just can't do this without the people and the community. We are committed to the community, and we are committed to doing this and doing it right."
Rencheck said the economic opportunities from this project will be significant which is why starting this new approach of a joint economic development force between Bruce Power and the community, is so important.
"With the goals of the region and Bruce Power aligned, we can be successful together," he said. "We can never take for granted our role, and by working together, we are a strong united voice of employees, pensioners, the community, suppliers and organized labour.
"I am committed to doing our part to drive this agenda following the summit - this initiative has my full support and identifying practical solutions and executing them, will be critical."
Only three weeks into his new job as head of Bruce Power, Rencheck said he and his wife, Carol, love the area and feel at home here.
"The people are outstanding," he said. "You walk down the street and they say, Hi, and you're not really sure if you've met them before. I've gone on my first boat ride, and I have several running friends."
He and Carol have lived in Columbus, Ohio, for the past 14 years, and once they find a house that his wife likes, within 30 minutes of the plant, that's where they will move, he said.
As for the economic development summit, Rencheck said people are everything in the nuclear industry.
"The plant supports the community, and the community supports the plant," he said. "It's important that we develop middle-class jobs so people can develop a career path - they go to school, go to work, and then retire."
During a break, Rencheck told The Kincardine Record that, with reference to the long-term management of nuclear waste, this industry is the only one in which we know where all the waste is stored.
"The technology is there to store it safely," he said, "and to recycle and reprocess it. The public perception of nuclear waste is sheerly political, but those perceptions, those fears, those concerns, are all valid."
The Kincardine Record will have more coverage of the summit, stay tuned.
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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